


Honeybee

by Elvarya85



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, FrostIron - Freeform, M/M, Slash, adorableness, also Loki and Darcy are besties, coffee shop!AU, ie: he's a douchebag, warning to fandral fans: i blatantly use him as a plot device
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2012-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-11 23:24:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/484041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elvarya85/pseuds/Elvarya85
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark didn't fall in love.</p><p>Rather, he strode into it willingly, following the path forged by a tall man with pale skin and the brightest green eyes he'd ever seen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is a Frostiron coffeeshop!AU. I started planning this in my head and it was just demanding to be written. So I'm writing it. Warning you now, Loki/Fandral is a thing, but Fandral is used as a plot device and a douchebag. I'm telling you this now so that you don't get mad at me later, because it won't change. 
> 
> kccasey was fantastic and went over this for me, and tonystarararararararark put up with me sending her random excerpts for feedback, so you should go love them for a while. Any remaining mistakes in there are all mine, and I apologize for them.
> 
> Oh, and the name was stolen from Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffe. I listened to it a lot while writing this (and I mean a LOT) and idk I think it fits what I want to do with this fic. If you haven't heard Honeybee, look it up on youtube, the music video is fantastic, and if you aren't familiar with Steam Powered Giraffe, I highly suggest you look into them, because they're brilliant!

Tony was in love.

That was the only explanation for why he couldn’t get the new guy at the coffee shop out of his head.

Tall, bright green eyes, and a total asshole.

Mmmm, the heart wants what the heart wants, he supposed.

Maybe he should back up.

It all started one day when he went into the coffee shop near his apartment. Tony was usually one to sleep in well past nine in the morning, but that  particular morning, he’d woken up with the certainty that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep and quickly made the decision to head across the street for a caffeine fix to (hopefully) get him through the day.

He was still steadfastly refusing to question those circumstances, but whatever.

He’d entered, and either the place wasn’t that popular or he’d just missed the rush, because it wasn’t exactly overflowing with people and there wasn’t anyone else in line.

Tony didn’t recognize the guy behind the counter, probably because he was never in this early, but he paused as soon as he saw the guy. 

He was tall. Like, really tall. Like, Tony considered himself pretty average, but this guy was at least a head taller than him. He had to look up to see his eyes, and boy, what a pair of eyes he had. Bright green with the strangest flecks of gold. But other than his eyes, everything about him was monochromatic. Black and white and grey. Pale skin met dark, slicked back hair and a grey shirt that hugged him just right, though that was sinfully hidden by the red apron employees wore. Tony was sad to see the guy wasn’t wearing a nametag. He could even see the little spot on the apron with spots worn in it from nametags being repeatedly pinned there, but the space was empty.

Damn.

It took him a moment to realize that Green Eyes had said something to him. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Wow, it’d been quite a while since a  man had affected Tony so strongly. It’d been all women for a while, and then suddenly there was this guy, making Tony want to do a whole manner of things to and with him.

Green Eyes smiled at him, though Tony was pretty sure it was more of a smirk than anything. “I said, what can I get you?” And Tony pretty much died then because, god, his  voice.

“Oh, um, black coffee and a blueberry scone, please.” Tony looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with him smirking like that.

Green Eyes punched it into the register. “That’ll be six dollars. And can I get a name for that order?”

Tony plastered his best smile onto his face as he handed over a couple bills. “No, but I’ll take yours.”

Green Eyes paused for a moment, glanced up at him, then chuckled. “It’ll be ready at the end of the counter. Have a nice day.”

Tony moved down to the end of the counter and waited. Green Eyes was helping the next customer who’d come in behind him. About a minute later, Tony was handed a warm cup of coffee and a warm scone in a small paper bag. He thanked the girl who handed it to him and went to find a table.

It wasn’t hard to find one, it was more deciding where he wanted to sit.

He settled for a table in the corner, which left him out of the way but still gave him a good view of Green Eyes.

God, he must be so creepy.

Tony sat down and placed his coffee and scone on the table. He was about to take a drink from the coffee when he noticed something on the side of the heat sleeve.

Four angular letters reading “LOKI” were scrawled on the side.

Tony grinned to himself and took a long drink of the coffee, eyes focused on Loki, who caught his eye for half a second with a smirk before he turned back to the customer who was next in line.

Tony sat there for a while, enjoying his coffee and scone, occasionally glancing up at Loki, though he didn’t catch the man’s eyes again.

He looked back up at one point to find that Loki was gone. The short redhead had replaced him at the register and the tall green-eyed man was nowhere in sight. Tony looked around for a moment before a low, smooth voice murmured in his ear, “Looking for me?”

Tony looked up in surprise to see Loki standing there and smirking. He grinned. “And why on Earth would you think that?”

Loki sat in the chair on the other side of the table, long legs stretching out in front of them. “Well, you seemed so interested before. Asking my name, watching me over here in your corner. Which isn’t at all stalkerish, by the way.”

Tony shrugged. “Maybe I’m just polite.”

Loki’s eyes narrowed. “Seemed a bit more than polite to me.”

Tony decided to change the subject. “So, Loki... What kind of parents name a kid that?”

“Not mine,” he replied dryly. “It’s more of a nickname, as it were.”

“And you picked Loki because...?” Tony wasn’t sure why he was asking questions like this. It was probing, even for him. Even so, Loki didn’t seem put off by it, so he pressed on.

He received a shrug in reply. “I like Norse mythology.”

“Loki’s not exactly the best role model, is he?”

Loki grinned. “Exactly.”

That was the moment when Tony decided that he wanted to see more of Loki.

He woke up a little after nine once again the next morning, once more with the certainty that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. But this time he knew exactly why. It was Loki, it  had  to be Loki.

Tony groaned and rolled out of bed, wondering if this was going to be a thing now, and realizing that he didn’t actually have as much of a problem with that as he probably should.

So he pulled on a tshirt and jeans and dragged his ass over to the cafe. Stood in line behind a couple people who were in line in front of him. Smiled broadly when he got to the counter.

“Morning, Green Eyes. You miss me?” He grinned across the counter. Tony struggled to keep his eyes from trailing the length of Loki. He was wearing an emerald shirt with long sleeves pushed up over his forearms. Tony was about ready to die.

Loki rolled his eyes. “I believe I told you my name.”

He shrugged. “Green Eyes suits you.”

“Yes, how observant of you.” Loki chuckled quietly. “What’ll it be? Same thing?”

“You remember?” Tony challenged. 

“Black coffee and a blueberry scone,” Loki replied, deadpan. 

Tony laughed. “Careful, there, I might start to think you like me.”

Loki refused to rise to the bait, saying, “And maybe you’ll actually give me your name for the order today.” There was definitely the wink in his voice, even if he didn’t perform the action outright. 

Tony pretended to think for a moment. “Nah, I like to keep some mystery about me.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “That’ll be six dollars, same as yesterday.”

Tony pulled out his wallet, realizing too late that he didn’t have any bills with him, just his credit card. He hesitated a moment before handing it over to Loki, who grinned triumphantly and checked the name. “Well, Anthony...or is it Tony?”

“Tony,” he admitted grudgingly. 

Loki nodded, grinning. “Well,  Tony,  your order will be ready at the end of the counter. Have a nice day.” Tony gave him a half-hearted glare and started moving to the end of the counter. “Wait, Tony!” He turned back. “Forgetting something?” Loki handing him his credit card. “Wouldn’t want to forget that.”

Loki smiled, and Tony simultaneously wanted to slap him and take a picture. God, that guy was gorgeous. Tony was having trouble focusing, if he was being totally honest. He forced his hand to reach up and take the card. “See you around, Green Eyes.” He gave Loki a smile and moved to the end of the counter to wait for his order.

It came soon enough and he made a beeline to the same table he’d claimed the day before. There he sat and waited. He seemed to be the end of the rush, which left Loki standing alone at the counter while the redhead - Tony had seen the name Natasha on her nametag - was in the back doing something. Tony tried not to watch Loki, but his eyes kept wandering over to him, and moments later, Loki would feel his gaze and his eyes would flick to Tony. 

Tony wasn’t quite sure why he was acting this way. He barely knew Loki. He hadn’t been this way about anyone - male or female - since he in high school.

Damn him.

Soon enough, Loki disappeared, just as he had the day before. This time, Tony was watching for it. Natasha came out and Loki went in the back, emerging moments later and heading straight for his table with a faint smile. 

“Why, Mr. Stark, are you waiting for me?” Loki’s smile turned into a grin as he sat down.

Tony played innocent. “What are you talking about? I’m just sitting here enjoying my breakfast. You came over to me.”

“Knowing I’d get off my shift soon.”

“And how would I know that?”

“I always work the same shift.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Do you now?” Tony raised an eyebrow, though he was mentally storing that away for future use.

Loki leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. “It’s alright if you were waiting for me, you know. You can admit it.”

Tony wouldn’t let him have that satisfaction. “And what if I was just sitting here enjoying my coffee? Someone’s being a bit presumptuous...”

Loki picked up the cup and shook it from side to side. “It’s empty. And your scone is gone, too.” He gestured to the crumpled up paper bag.

“Still doesn’t prove anything.”

“I don’t need proof.” Loki shook his head, leaning back. He gave Tony another smile, stood, and left, leaving Tony sitting there and wondering exactly what he’d gotten himself into.

He woke up the same time the third day and he wasn’t even surprised anymore. He rolled out of bed and pulled on some clothes without regard for what he was putting on. There were two people in front of him today. A woman in her sixties and a blond guy around his age and only slightly taller. He only half-noticed those details, because he was more focused on Loki. Loki glanced at him and smiled quickly when he noticed Tony in the line, but he seemed preoccupied, and his eyes kept flicking to the blond guy in front of him. Tony had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he tried to push it away.

“What can I get you?” Loki asked tersely when the woman moved to pick up her drink and the blond guy moved to the counter.

“How about your new number and a second chance?” Tony’s ears perked up at that. Clearly, the guy knew Loki. And he didn’t like the sound of that.

Loki rolled his eyes - a good sign for Tony, he quickly reminded himself - and sounded exasperated when he said, “Not now, Fandral, I’m working.”

“Why not now? I can’t get ahold of you otherwise.” The blond guy, Fandral, leaned closer to Loki, so that Tony had to strain his ears to hear what he was saying. “You could come by my place later, we could-”

“Not  now,  Fandral,” Loki repeated, clenching the edge of the counter until his knuckles turned white. “Order something or leave.”

“Darling, don’t be like th-”

“He’s not interested,” Tony interrupted him, finally deciding to speak up. “You heard him. Order something or leave.”

Fandral turned to look at Tony. “What’s it to you?” He turned back to Loki, clearly expecting Tony to stay out of it. “Come on, let’s just talk.”

Tony grabbed Fandral’s shoulder. “I  said,  he’s not interested.”

“What’s your problem?” Fandral shoved his shoulder off, turning to size Tony up.

Tony was having trouble resisting the urge to punch the guy. “My problem is you taking so long harassing Loki, keeping me from getting coffee and ruining my good mood. He’s asked you to leave,  repeatedly.  So leave.”

Fandral clenched his jaw before shoving past Tony and walking out of the shop. Tony turned to Loki, raising an eyebrow. “Your boyfriend?”

“Ex,” Loki replied uncomfortably. “Same as usual?”

Tony nodded, handing over six dollars for it before Loki even had to ask. “You need any help taking care of him?”

Loki glanced over to Natasha, then looked back at Tony. “Wait for me to get off. We’ll talk then.”

Tony nodded again. “Watch out for yourself, Green Eyes. I’d hate to see someone mess up those pretty cheekbones.” He smiled, then moved to the end of the counter.

After he’d taken his coffee, Tony turned to see that his usual table was taken. He sighed and looked around the rest of the place, finding another one. Sadly, there was a pillar between him and Loki, so he couldn’t watch him (because that didn’t make him seem like a stalker, wow) but at least he could watch and make sure Fandral didn’t try to come back. 

He sat down at the table and looked down at the napkin, pulling out a pen to draw a bit while he waited. He looked around for a moment, trying to figure out what, exactly, he was going to draw. Loki’s voice traveled across the shop. Tony smiled as he started drawing, drawing from his own imagination as much as the actuall appearance of Loki. 

He must have gotten into the coffee shop later than usual, or Loki just punched out early, or maybe Tony just lost track of time as he worked steadily on the little napkin drawing of Loki. He jumped slightly when suddenly, the tall body of Loki slumped down into the chair across the table. “Should I be flattered or concerned that you’re over here drawing...what seems to be a picture of me in a cape and horns?”

Tony blushed for the first time in years, pulling the picture away. “You really weren’t supposed to see that...”

“You weren’t doing a very good job of hiding it, were you?” He reached out and gently pulled the drawing towards him, giving Tony every opportunity to snatch it back. “It’s quite good, you know. Where’d you get the costume from?”

Tony shrugged. “I dunno. Just seemed to fit.”

Loki smiled, studying the drawing. “Can I keep this?”

“Go ahead.” Tony didn’t have any particular attachment to it. It was a doodle, not a masterpiece.

They both fell silent, unsure how to proceed, until Loki said, “I probably owe you an explanation...”

The side of Tony’s mouth pulled up into a half smile. “An explanation for what, exactly?”

Loki chuckled, but Tony could tell it wasn’t genuine. He looked tired, worn thin. As far as Tony could tell, Loki was just as stubborn as he was, so he really couldn’t imagine what that guy could be doing to wear down Loki so much - if Fandral was to blame in the first place, he reminded himself.

“For my evil ex hassling me and ruining your good mood?”

Tony grinned. “Don’t worry, he left and my good mood was restored pretty quickly.”

Loki laughed. “Oh, really? What did that?”

Tony shrugged, enjoying the easy banter between them. “Oh, I dunno. The blueberry scone?”

Loki leaned closer, smiling and narrowing his eyes. “You know, sooner or later, you’ll have to admit that you like me.”

Tony leaned closer, too. “And what makes you think that?”

Loki leaned back again. “Oh, I don’t know. The look on your face the first day you came in here? The fact that you haven’t missed a day since?”

“You been watching me, Green Eyes?” Tony found that he liked that idea a bit more than he should.

“As you’ve been watching me.”

Loki and Tony both paused for a moment, just looking at each other. Tony was the one to finally look away, and then Loki stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get some sleep. I barely got any last night, and the smell of coffee can be a bit...off putting, once you’re exposed to it too much.”

Tony caught Loki’s wrist as he walked by - the first time he’d actually touched Lokie, he noted. His wrist was thin and bony, and his skin was cold to the touch. “Wait.” Loki cocked his head to the side, questioning him, but he didn’t pull out of the other man’s grasp. “Let me give you my number.” Tony reached for the pen on the table and Loki baulked. “Hey, no expectations. Just...call me if you need...whatever.” Tony shifted awkwardly, then reached up to quickly scribble the digits on Loki’s wrist.

“If I need whatever?” Loki chuckled. “You have quite a way with words, don’t you, Tony?” Loki grinned. “But thank you, I appreciate it. It’s nice to have someone looking out for me again.” Loki turned without another word and left, leaving Tony sitting there with a huge, shit-eating grin on his face.

Yup, Tony was definitely in love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, second chapter! I just got my school laptop, so I'm hoping I can update quicker now. I was hoping to have this done a couple days ago, but it was so difficult to focus. I'll have my laptop with me all day during the week now, and I'll have a lot more time to work on this. With any luck, I'll actually update regularly! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. :)

**Loki was absent on the fourth day. Tony woke up at the same time and high-tailed it over to the coffee shop.**

And Loki wasn’t there.

****

He hadn’t called or texted the night before, either.

****

Tony got in line in a rising state of panic. Where was Loki? Was he sick? Was he avoiding Tony? Had he come on too strong?

****

Had Fandral done something?

****

Tony didn’t know Fandral very well - or at all, really - so he couldn’t even be sure he’d try to pull something like that, but the way he’d reacted when Tony had stepped in the day before had him worried about what the guy would do in the future if he didn’t get what he wanted. And Tony knew that he wanted to be far away when that happened.

****

In his confusion, he hadn’t even noticed all the other customers ahead of him being served, and suddenly he was hearing an irritated “Next!” from the redhead, Natasha.

****

“Sorry, sorry,” Tony apologized quickly, moving up to the counter. “I’m just...distracted, sorry.” Dare he ask about Loki?

****

“Oh, no worries,” she assured him with a strangely knowing smile. “You’re Tony, right?”

****

“Uh, yeah?” He shifted awkwardly, unsure if she was trying to flirt with him or what. Maybe she was just really good with knowing the names of the regulars? Though, Tony really hadn’t been coming in for that long and he really wished his brain would just turn off at this point.

****

Natasha was nodding, completely oblivious to the crazy train wreck that was Tony’s mind at the moment. “Thought so. Loki won’t freaking shut up about you.”

****

He perked up at that, stomach dropping. “Wha-what do you mean by that?”

****

Natasha gave him another smile. “Oh, I’ve said too much. Ask Loki.”

****

“Can’t, I don’t have any way of getting ahold of him.”

****

She seemed surprised at that. “That bastard. He said he was gonna call you. Hopefully he wises up, then.” A customer behind Tony cleared his throat and Natasha seemed to remember where she was. “Oh, sorry. What can I get you?”

****

Tony quickly ordered and handed over the bills without being prompted, moving down to the end of the counter. He was fighting the giant grin that was struggling to make itself known. So Loki was talking about him. Apparently he “wouldn’t freaking shut up” about him. That was a good sign, right?

****

Right?

****

He didn’t stay long that day. Left as soon as he got his scone and coffee, in fact. He took them and left to find a different place to enjoy them. He didn’t have any reason for sticking around at the coffee shop, and he had to admit, Loki was right. That place could get a bit stuffy if you were there too much, and the smell of coffee seemed to lose its appeal when you smelled it every morning.

****

It was a nice day, so he decided to pick a direction and walk. Soon enough, he found a small park with benches and trees for shade. He picked an empty bench and sat there, sipping his coffee and enjoying the outdoors for the first time in a while. Tony prefered to be indoors, where he could tinker and create without disturbance, as opposed to being outdoors where there was a myriad of things to keep him from accomplishing anything at all.

****

But no. Today he sat, watching and listening and enjoying the feel of the wind on his skin.

****

That is, until he heard a low voice in his ear.

****

“Looking for me?” 

****

Tony jumped just as he had the first time Loki’d come up behind him and said those exact words. He looked up, grinning. “I’ll remind you that you’re the one who keeps coming up to me. I’m just sitting here enjoying my coffee. And I’m being serious about that this time. How was I supposed to know you’d be here?” He winked.

****

“But you looked so lost,” Loki insisted, coming around the bench to sit beside Tony and completely ignoring his question.

****

Tony was hyper aware of the space between them, analyzing it for any meaning it might hold. Was that too close? Too far? Should he move? Would Loki move?

****

He decided to maintain his position, and shook his head. “I’m not lost. I was just trying to enjoy the outdoors when someone decided to come and pester me.”

****

“Oh, pestering? Is that what I’ve been doing?” Loki grinned.

****

“Something like that. Pestering, flirting, same thing, really.”

****

Loki clicked his tongue. “Now who’s being presumptuous? Who ever said I was flirting?”

****

Tony laughed. “Green Eyes, if that wasn’t flirting, then I have absolutely no idea what is.”

****

Loki looked away. “Oh, you never know. Maybe I’m just leading you on. Maybe I treat all the regulars at the coffee shop like this.”

****

“No one likes a tease, you know.”

****

“You seem to like me just fine.”

****

Tony paused for a moment, then nodded, smiling. “That I do.” They both fell silent, both steadfastly refusing to look at the other. Tony was the one who finally broke the silence. “I gave you my number. Thought you might call...”

****

He looked at Loki out of the corner of his eye and he was pretty sure it was a smile he saw there. “What if I’m just not interested?”

****

Tony shook his head with a grin. “Nope, Natasha told me otherwise.”

****

Loki cursed under his breath. “And did she also tell you that you’d find me here?” Loki went to the park every day after work, usually just to sit and enjoy the air, though he’d sometimes bring a book along, or a notebook to scribble down some thoughts. He hadn’t worked that day, but he still continued with his tradition of sitting in the park. His day felt empty without it. Incomplete. And as much as he loved the smell of moist earth and petrichor, he loathed the rain for stealing from him his sit in the park, on the days that it was too stormy to venture out. 

****

Tony shook his head again. “No, I was actually telling the truth when I said I didn’t know you’d be here.” He laughed. “I guess we just can’t stay away from each other then, eh?”

****

Loki made a small sound of agreement as Tony lifted the coffee to his lips, taking a drink. “I suppose you’re right. There’s only one solution here.” He turned to Tony seriously. “We have to fuck.”

****

Tony choked on his coffee, coughing and hacking and bending over in an attempt not to die while Loki sat beside him laughing like the fucking asshole he was. When Tony was finally able to breathe again, he looked at Loki, trying to glare at him, but he broke into a smile. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a horrible, horrible person?”

****

Loki nodded. “Many times on many different occasions.”

****

“Then one more time won’t hurt. You’re an asshole.”

****

Loki just grinned back at him.

****

They both fell silent and Tony was acutely aware that he and Loki had moved closer together. Tony was unsure what to do, how to proceed, and he had to admit, it’d been a while since he’d been unsure how to act around someone. He was usually so certain, so confidant. And now, here he was, sitting beside Loki, wanting to speak to him, to do something so that he could hear the heavenly, accented voice...and he didn’t have a clue.

****

Though, he did have to admit. It had been a while since he’d been with anyone for more than one night. He prefered things to be simple, easy. No attachments, no emotions to worry about crushing when he inevitably messed up.

****

He turned to Loki, opening his mouth, right as Loki said, “If you’re planning to ask me out, this is your opportunity.” 

****

Tony closed his mouth, looking away and chuckling. “You’re straightforward, aren’t you?”

****

Loki shrugged. “I see no point in subtlety when it comes to something I want.”

****

Tony’s stomach clenched as he struggled to maintain his cool. “Something you want, hmm?”

****

Loki nodded. “Yes, something I want. So are you going to ask me out or not?”

****

Tony turned to him, grinning. “Loki, will you go to dinner with me tonight?”

****

Loki considered for a moment and let out a dramatic sigh. “I suppose I could fit it into my schedule.” He checked his watch suddenly. “Damn, I have to go! I’m sorry, I have to drive a friend somewhere, and she’ll kill me if I’m late. Um, I’ll text you my address, you text me the other details.”

****

Tony didn’t have a chance to reply before Loki was rushing off, not looking back. He wound up sitting there for a while longer, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. 

****

And then he left. He had date plans to figure out.

****

 

****

* * *

****

Loki wasn’t lying when he said he had to go. He really did have to pick up Darcy and drive her to work, just like he had every day for the past week. She’d gotten into an accident and totaled her car. Hence, relying on him for rides.

****

He drove to her apartment and texted her to let her know that he was there, and opened a text to Tony while he waited for her. He quickly keyed in his address and sent it off, taking a deep breath. He wasn’t blind, he could see how Tony looked at him, how he’d acted whenever Loki was around. It was clear the guy was into him. Loki... Loki wasn’t sure if he was actually into Tony or he just enjoyed the banter between them and wanted to have someone besides Fandral vying for his affection. But it was nice to be able to look forward to seeing someone besides Darcy for once. She was his best friend - his only friend, he reminded himself - but even so, her company could be a bit...grating at times. 

****

Darcy knocked on the window, startling him out of his thoughts. He unlocked the door for her and smiled. She rolled her eyes. “Someone’s a bit preoccupied today. Wouldn’t have anything to do with whatsisname, would it?” Loki looked down at his phone, fighting the urge to smile. Darcy gasped. “It does! I demand details!”

****

Loki looked over at her, grinning. “Okay, I think I have a date with him tonight.”

****

“You think?” She raised an eyebrow.

****

“Well, because of you, I had to leave before we could hammer out anything definite. But I was just texting him my address when you-” His phone buzzed in his hand. “Ah, there he is.” He opened the text.

****

>How do you feel about Italian? I’ll pick you up at 7

****

Darcy made a wild grab for the phone, but Loki utilized his long limbs to hold her at bay while sending him a reply, glad he was left-handed, so he could hold Darcy back and still text quickly.

****

>Sounds good. Don’t disappoint me.

****

“Come on, let me send a message!” she insisted, pouting.

****

“I honestly can’t think of anything worse to do right now.” He laughed. “If I haven’t scared him off yet, then you certainly would.”

****

“It’s my duty as a friend to make sure you don’t date a douchebag.” She looked at him seriously, and Loki knew she was referring to Fandral. She’d warned him off the guy, and he hadn’t listened. And she refused to let him forget it. “Also, I don’t want to get stuck hanging out with you and some asshole, and you don’t want him to get shocked later and decide it isn’t worth it, do you? Get him accustomed to me early on, that way he knows what he’s getting into!”

****

“Darcy, it’s one date,” he reminded her. “It probably won’t mean anything.”

****

“No, it’s your first date in six months and your first date since you broke up with Fandral,” she reminded him. “It’s a big thing, Loki. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

****

He chuckled. “And you think the way of going about this is by scaring off all my dates beforehand?”

****

“Hey, if they can’t handle me, they have no business dating you. I’m part of the package.” She grinned at him, giggling.

****

He shook his head, starting the car and pulling out. “I wasn’t aware that we were a single unit.”

****

“Then you haven’t been paying attention. There was a memo and everything.”

****

They laughed and continued their banter for a few more minutes before Loki dropped Darcy off. “You don’t need me to pick you up later, do you?”

****

She shook her head. “Nah, I’ll take the bus back. Thanks for the ride, Loki! And I demand a phone call and details as soon as you get home tonight. Tell me willingly or I’ll thrash it out of you.”

****

Loki rolled his eyes. “Goodbye, Darcy.”

****

“Love you, too!”

****

**She turned and entered the building where she worked, leaving Loki alone to begin panicking about his date with Tony.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, Darcy showed up :D I just really love the idea of a friendship between Darcy and Loki, so I'm writing it. Um, the next chapter will probably be the date, but I'm also hoping to explain the family issues with both of them in the next chapter...because we all know they both have them, haha. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Any comments are welcome, either here, or on tumblr. http://frostirons.tumblr.com/ask


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alskhdgas I meant to have this up two days ago but I just finished it about two minutes ago. And now it won't let me post it because my internet keeps cutting out right as I hit "post"
> 
> Hopefully it'll work this time, because I really like this chapter and I want t post it!

Tony was surprisingly nervous all day. He’d said he would pick Loki up at seven, so he figured he should leave about half an hour before. 

Which left Tony sitting around for a while, growing increasingly apprehensive about the evening. He’d made reservations, mapquested the address Loki had sent him to make sure he knew where it was, and even figured out what he was going to wear. 

There was literally nothing else to do.

Finally, he sat down at his desk and pulled out his old sketchbook. The spine had cracked, dust coated the top cover, and it smelled vaguely of dampness and age. He hadn’t looked at it in five years, he’d packed it away when his father had died. He was nineteen when Howard went. He was twenty four, now, and the only thing he had to thank the bastard for was the sizable inheritance he was now living off of. He still doodled and drew on occasion, but as he flipped through the pages, he was actually surprised by his own ability. Some of the drawings were clearly mediocre at best, but others were breathtaking.

He flipped to a new page without pausing to let himself think it through, and began sketching. He drew on his memory of the figure he’d drawn on the napkin, the one he’d drawn of Loki. He drew Loki crouched, balanced on one foot with the other leg extended, wielding a spear  and ready for battle. He forewent the helmet this time, opting to give Loki’s usually slicked and calmed hair a wilder edge.

Opposite Loki, his hand was already moving. Tony wasn’t quite sure what the piece would turn into, but he was discovering it as his hand did.

Three hours after beginning, he pushed the sketchpad away to observe his work. What he’d produced was astounding, far exceeding any other work in his sketchbook. He wasn’t sure how his mind had conceived this particular piece, but somehow, it seemed to make sense.

It depicted Loki, face twisted in a feral snarl, outfitted for battle, facing Tony, who was floating before him in what seemed to be a mechanical armored suit. They were standing amidst flame and wreckage and looking at each other with a kind of sad betrayal.

He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but, glancing at the clock, he realized that he didn’t have time to consider it. It was quarter-after six already, and he still had to get changed for his date with Loki.

His stomach twisted as he thought the words, but he pushed the feeling away. He didn’t want to be nervous tonight, because when he was nervous, he rambled, and when he rambled, he said all the wrong things at all the wrong times. 

And he was determined not to scare Loki away this soon. There was too much he didn’t know yet, too much he wanted to know. He at least had to get _some_ answers before Loki inevitably decided that he’d had enough of Tony.

That’s what always happened, right?

No, no, no, brain, shut up. Tony focused on his tie, tying and retying it before finally deciding that he didn’t need it after all. A blazer and button down was fine, right? He was pretty sure it’d be acceptable for the restaurant he’d chosen. 

He looked up at the clock and saw that it was 6:30. Time to leave, then. He grabbed his keys and his wallet and was out the door, anxiety rising with each step.

Traffic wasn’t as bad as he’d anticipated, so he wound up arriving at Loki’s apartment early. He was actually surprised by what he found. They weren’t necessarily the worst units in town, but that didn’t mean they came cheap, either. And there was no way Loki could afford it on a barista’s salary. 

He wasn’t sure if he should ring the buzzer or not (and realized, belatedly, that he didn’t even know which unit was Loki’s) so he pulled out his phone and typed a text.

> _I’m here._

He waited a few minutes before sending the text, so that he didn’t seem too early. He was finding himself strangely self-conscious about those things tonight...

Two minutes after he hit SEND, Loki emerged. As he walked towards Tony, he passed under a streetlight, and Tony saw that he was wearing a button down, no jacket. Quickly, hoping that Loki couldn’t see well enough to make out what he was doing, Tony pulled of his jacket and threw it in the back seat, just in time to unlock the door for Loki to open it.

“Right on time,” he noted. Tony took in the sight of him and just barely managed to keep his face casual and collected. Loki was wearing a button down, as he’d said, but he could see it better now. It was a dark, dark green, and the sleeves rolled up over his forearms were extremely distracting. It Tony had thought Loki was pale before, this shirt had such contrast to his skintone, Loki looked almost purely white. And it made his eyes seem brighter in a way that Tony was sure would keep him awake that night, just thinking about them.

He was definitely in trouble.

He swallowed and put his best smile on his face. “Now, now, wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on the first date, would I?” Tony grinned as he pulled out of the parking space and out onto the street.

Loki eyed the jacket in the backseat, but made no comment. “I’d say we’re beyond that, wouldn’t you?”

Tony chuckled in agreement. “You have my coffee order memorized. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

“Indeed.” 

They both fell silent as Tony struggled to navigate traffic. “I should probably ask, you eat meat, right?” The idea had suddenly occurred to him that, for all he knew, Loki was a vegan or something, and then the evening would be entirely awkward for all involved. He shifted, suddenly self-conscious about every movement he made.

To his relief, Loki nodded, seeming to understand. “Don’t worry, you haven’t screwed up yet.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Yet?”

Loki smirked. “We’ll see.”

They got to the restaurant soon after and Loki approached the hostess, giving her his name. 

“Right this way, Mr. Stark.” She smiled graciously, though her eyes were clearly analyzing the space between them, trying to determine the relationship there. Tony smiled and placed a hand at the small of Loki’s back, walking with him as the hostess led them to a booth. “Will this be alright?”

Tony nodded. “Perfect.”

The hostess set down two menus and left quickly. Loki took his seat first, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t think I didn’t see what you did there.”

Tony played innocent. “And what did I do there?”

“The hand at my back?” He laughed. “A bit early to be getting possessive, isn’t it?”

Tony shook his head. “I have no idea what you mean.”

Loki just laughed and didn’t comment further.

The date went fairly well, as far as Tony could see. He and Loki kept up a pretty constant conversation as the waitress took their food and drink orders. They barely glanced up as their food was brought, barely registering the change. It was mostly light conversation. Pleasantries and a bit of discussion. Loki, Tony discovered, enjoyed writing. When Tony had asked what he wrote, or if Loki had ever been published, Loki shook his head with an air that made Tony think he was saying, “Patience, grasshopper.”

He had to ask one question that had been eating at him since he’d first met Loki. “So, the accent...?” He was actually getting used to it at this point, but it still made him curious. 

“What, are you asking if it’s real? Oh, it is,” Loki assured him. “I grew up in England. Been here for about two years now.”

“Why’d you move?” A simple enough question, right?

But apparently not. Loki shook his head. “That’s my business. You may find out one day, if you’re lucky.”

Tony smiled. He enjoyed a challenge, and the way Loki said that, one had definitely been issued.

“Okay...you have any family back in England, though? Any siblings?”

Loki had stilled entirely at that. His fork stopped halfway to his mouth and he set it back down. He didn’t meet Tony’s eyes. “I’d...rather not talk about them, if that’s alright.”

Tony smiled and tried to laugh it off, to quell the tension that had suddenly sprung up between them. “Daddy issues, huh? Now we’re getting somewhere!” Loki gave him a small smile, but Tony could tell from the et of his shoulders that he was still uneasy and uncomfortable. Tony leaned forward, placing a hand over the one Loki had fisted on the table. The hand was cold, just as it had been the last time Tony had touched Loki’s skin “Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business.”

Loki seemed to relax more at the touch, though he was still clenched tightly, making his thin frame appear slight and even fragile. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It’s just a...difficult topic. I don’t mean to ruin the evening.”

Tony grinned. “Who’s ruining the evening? I’m having a great time, how about you?”

Loki smiled back, finally relaxing and unclenching. “I’m actually having a pretty good time,” he admitted. 

“Should I assume that’s about as much affirmation as I’ll ever get out of you?”

Loki looked away. “I know I’m not very open about things...”

“No pressure,” Tony assured him. “But just to get this straight, topics that are off-limits are your family...” He paused and Loki nodded. “...and why you left England...” Loki nodded once more. “How about Fandral? Or should I just assume he’s a douchebag and leave it at that?”

Loki shrugged. “That’s basically what it boils down to, I suppose. We were never a good match.”

Tony nodded, deciding to change the subject quickly. “So do you take as much interest in all of the regulars at the coffee shop? Or should I consider myself special?”

Loki leaned in, smirking. “Only the attractive ones.”

Tony leaned in, too, mirroring him. “Attractive, am I?”

“Mmm, downright gorgeous.”

“I like the sound of that.” Tony grinned cockily. “I’m gorgeous.”

“Don’t let it get to your head,” Loki warned him.

“Too late.”

The rest of the evening went smoothly, their light banter continuing until they both finished their meals and decided to leave. Tony threw down a few bills after glancing over the check. Loki didn’t really want to ask how much the meal had cost... Judging from his car, Tony was clearly a man who had money, and Loki wouldn’t protest him spending it on a meal he most likely couldn’t afford.

The drive back to Loki’s apartment was silent and slightly awkward, neither of them really knowing what to say. When Tony dropped Loki off, Loki hesitated for a moment. “If you want, you could...”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.” He shook his head. “Goodnight, Tony.”

“What, no goodnight kiss?” Tony teased.

Loki smirked and leaned over to kiss Tony quickly, then opened the door and exited the car with another word, walking towards his building.

Tony rolled down his window as he watched Loki go, shouting to him, “Does that mean I can call you?”

Loki turned, walking backwards as he called back, “It means your coffee will start showing up cold if you don’t!”

Loki turned and hurried inside, taking the stairs two at a time to get up to his unit. When he finally got in, Loki turned on a few lights and flopped face down on the couch, fishing his phone out of his jeans pocket. He’d silenced it before leaving for his date, knowing that Darcy would pester him incessantly throughout the evening. His suspicions were confirmed when he turned his phone on and found four missed calls, three voicemails, and seventeen texts.

Groaning and wanting nothing more than to sleep, but knowing that Darcy was likely to break down his door if he didn’t reply soon, he hit redial without checking any of the messages and waited for her to answer.

She picked up on the second ring. “What do you think you’re doing?” That’s what she said. No ‘hello.’ No ‘how was it?’ Just ‘What are you doing?’

“What do you mean? You told me to call-”

“I didn’t think you’d actually call me tonight!” she insisted. “You’re not supposed to call me, you’re supposed to take him up and-”

“Enough, Darcy,” he cut her off. “I kissed him goodnight and left.”

“Kissed, huh?” Her attention was immediately grasped.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Are you going to continue to focus on these things? Or would you like to hear about the rest?” 

“The rest, please.” He could hear the familiar tone in her voice, the one that meant she either possessed or was seeking some particularly juicy gossip. “How was it?”

“It was...good.”

“Good? Uh-oh.”

“No, quiet,” he told her. “It was nice. We went out to dinner, then he drove me home. It went pretty well, though he started asking about me, and then it got awkward.”

“He ask about Odin and Thor?”

“Not by name, but he asked about my family, and why I moved from England.”

He could practically hear Darcy nodding on the other end. “And considering I don’t even know why you left...”

Loki chuckled. “I’ll tell you sometime, promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise,” Darcy said happily. “But about the date, what’d he do when you wouldn’t tell him?”

“I dunno, he laughed it off, made a comment about how he had ‘daddy issues’ too.”

Darcy was laughing on the other end. “I’m not sure if this guy is your soul mate or your mortal enemy.”

“With my luck, it’s both,” Loki said glumly.

“Oh, cheer up!” Darcy insisted. “You just successfully went on a date with someone who wasn’t Fandral. And you didn’t panic and cancel this time! I’m proud of you, Loki.”

“How is going on a date with someone something to be proud of?”

“I’m proud of you,” she repeated, voice insistent. 

Loki laughed. “Thanks, Darcy. I’m about to fall asleep, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Night, Loki!”

“Night, Darcy.”

He snapped his phone closed and forced himself to stand, stripping his clothing as he made his way to his bed, then falling in, curling up, and falling asleep.

He dreamed of battles and armies and heroes and Tony looking down at him from within a strange robotic suit.

When he woke in the morning, he remembered none of the dream, though he had a strange feeling that he couldn’t quite identify.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm pretty sure the angst will start coming soon. Sorry! Gotta happen sometime o3o
> 
> Anyway, comments are always appreciated! Either here or on tumblr
> 
> http://frostirons.tumblr.com/ask


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long to update! I wrote most of this chapter, and then my computer restarted and Pages didn't autosave it, so I lost it all. I finally rewrote it, and I actually finished it in homeroom this morning, and then my computer started freaking out and Pages stopped responding and I nearly cried. But it started working again! Anyway, this chapter is kinda short... But yeah. At least it's some update!

Tony and Loki easily fell into a routine from there. Tony came in for coffee, waited for Loki to get off his shift, then they would talk and spend time together until he had to leave to pick up Darcy. Tony took Loki out a few times, though Loki had yet to see Tony’s home, and Loki had yet to invite Tony up to his. It was unspoken, but they were both being cautious about this. Tony knew that Loki had come out of a bad situation, though he didn’t have details, and Loki got the impression that Tony wasn’t exactly easy to trust people either.

Which begged the question of why Tony seemed to trust Loki so easily, but neither really wanted to dwell on that question.

A week after, Loki picked up Darcy, as per their arrangement. (She claimed the repairshop was just taking a lot of time to fix her car, but Loki suspected she was using it now as an excuse to drill him for information about Tony.) She got in the car and, without even greeting him (as was her way), she turned to him and said, “I want to meet him.”

It only took Loki a moment to understand what she meant. “No,” he answered automatically.

“Awh, come on, Loki!” she whined. “I want to meet him!”

“And I’m saying no,” Loki insisted.

“I have to meet him sometime,” she pointed out. “Better sooner than later.”

“Eventually,” Loki told her noncommittally. 

“Don’t give me that!” she exclaimed. “Please? One meeting? I’m just looking out for you.”

“I don’t need you to look out for me,” Loki said, and they both fell silent. 

Neither had ever admitted it, but Darcy had been right about Fandral from the beginning. First time she met him, as soon as he left the room, she’d turned to him and said, “No offense, but you’re boyfriend’s a douchebag.” It was the biggest fight they’d ever had. Loki had mostly moved past Fandral, but as he was starting...something with Tony, all of his little insecurities were coming back.

So Darcy took matters into her own hands.

The next day, Tony followed his usual routine. He went in to the coffee shop and sat at his usual table and did his best to catch Loki’s gaze and be distracting. But his attention was stolen away from Loki when a nerdy brunette with glasses sat down in the chair he’d left for Loki.

“Um, can I help you? I’m kind of saving that seat,” Tony told her, raising an eyebrow.

“You mean you’re saving it for Loki?” She chuckled when he looked surprised. “Because I’m assuming from the doe eyes that he’s been over there giving you, that you’re Tony Stark.” She turned and waved at him, and when he realized who was sitting across the table from Tony, his gaze darkened. “I’m Darcy, Loki’s one and only friend, and I’m not supposed to be here.”

Tony nodded when she explained. “And why, exactly, aren’t you supposed to be here?”

Darcy jerked a thumb over her shoulder, towards Loki. “The big guy is being possessive and keeping you all to himself.”

Tony grinned. “Is he now?”

She nodded, pouting. “Wouldn’t introduce me, so I took matters into my own hands.”

Tony leaned to the side and looked over Darcy’s shoulder. “Is that why he’s acting like that? I feel like I should worry about his head exploding at this point or something...” Loki appeared to be grinding his teeth together and glaring at the back of Darcy’s head.  

“And now that we’ve officially met, I’m obliged to inform you that I’m required to take Loki’s side in any and all arguments and I can and will kill you if you hurt him.” She gave him a big, friendly smile.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh. “And where and when were those things decided?”

Darcy hesitated, before resuming her carefree demeanor. “I’m his best friend - only friend technically, but the sentiment still holds. It goes without saying.”

Tony nodded. “Okay, fine. But you think we can pull a few things while you’re here? Nothing major, just enough to stress him out before he comes over here and gets all possessive again?”

Darcy giggled. “You want him to be possessive, do you? You angling for something.”

Tony choked. “No, not like that! I just think it’ll be fun to mess with the guy while we can.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Are you in or not?”

She leaned forward. “What do you have in mind?”

* * *

Loki was going to throttle the both of them. At present, they were sitting at a table together, giggling about who knows what. Tony threw an occasional smug glance his way, making the situation even worse by giving Loki the certainty that they were talking about him.

He checked his watch and it said that his shift was over in two minutes. Close enough.

He pulled off the stupid apron and put it on the hook, washed his hands quickly, and departed, walking out to glare at the conspirators. 

“I see you two’ve met,” he greeted them pointedly.

Darcy giggled. “Yup, I was just getting to know your...what even are you, Tony?” 

He shrugged. “I’m not actually sure. Loki’s not exactly fond of labels, is he?” Tony grinned up at Loki, who glared back.

Loki turned to Darcy. “I had hoped you would respect my wishes to keep my relationship with Tony private for the time being.”

She giggled again. “Come on, Loki! He’s all you talk about already, it was cruel not to introduce us.”

“All you talk about, eh, Green Eyes?” Tony grinned, pulling a stiff and unwilling Loki closer by the hand to wrap an arm around his waist. “Don’t worry, she didn’t tell me all the stuff you wrote about me in your diary. We were just talking.”

Loki wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulders, digging his nails into Tony’s bicep, just enough to make him yelp. “You did that on purpose, the both of you.”

“Only because I love you, Loki!” Darcy assured him in her happiest of voices, but she looked completely devious as she said them. “As for Tony...I think he has other motivations.”

Tony choked again, and Loki rolled his eyes exclaiming, “He’s my boyfriend, okay?” then stormed out of the place.

Tony turned to Darcy, grinning. “I do like the sound of that. It was nice to meet you, we should do this again sometime.”

She nodded in agreement. “That we should. Now you should probably go beg his forgiveness before he decides to throw you under a bus.”

Tony grinned and rushed after Loki, only half worried the guy would actually decide to do that. 

Closing the door behind him, he turned to look for the taller man, wondering just how far the guy could have gotten in the short amount of time. Luckily, Loki was easy to spot. He was sitting on a bench about twenty feet from the entrance, talking into his phone. He snapped it closed as Tony approached.

“You know we were just kidding, right?” he said, sinking into the bench beside Loki and knocking his knee against the other man’s. Loki nodded weakly and Tony realized that his eyes were wide, panicking. “Hey, are you okay? Crap, did Darcy and I do this?”

Loki shook his head. “No, it’s...my family is coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated! Either here or on tumblr ;)  
> http://frostirons.tumblr.com/ask
> 
> So, enter angst. I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not.
> 
> And I promise I'll update quicker than I did this time. Stupid computer, messing with my fuck writing :P


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a while, and I'm really sorry about that. I haven't had enough focus for this. I've been writing a bit more original fiction. But, here, have a really long update! It's over 3k. This chapter just got longer and longer...
> 
> I'm pretty sure there are a lot of errors in here. Sorry, I was watching Community while editing it.
> 
> There's quite a bit of backstory in this chapter, and a bit of angst.
> 
> Last note, NaNoWriMo is starting very soon. Which means I have to devote all of my writing focus to that for pretty much all of November. I might get one more chapter up before November, but I might not. I'll try, but don't count on it.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy this! And again, sorry for the wait.

Tony didn’t get much more information out of Loki. As far as he could tell, his phone had rung, a call from his brother, and his family was coming to town to visit him.

And Loki wasn’t happy about it in the slightest.

Tony had tried to be comforting, understanding. He’d sat down next to Loki and asked him what he wanted to do about it, but Loki had simply buried his face in his hands and shook his head. Tony had never been good at comforting people, and he was aware that he was babbling about nothing at all, but he wasn’t sure what else he could do.

Finally, Loki had simply sat up and said, “I-I’m sorry, Tony, but I have to go.”

And without another word, Loki stood and strode away, hands buried in his pockets, head ducked, and shoulders tense.

Tony walked home from there, preoccupied with thoughts of Loki. When he got into his apartment, the first thing he encountered was his sketchbook, still open to the drawing of him and Loki. He studied it, now detached from it by about a day, and he was shocked by what he found. It was much darker than his usual style, the destruction and raw emotion playing out cutting through like nothing else he’d ever produced. The look on Loki’s face was angry, betrayed, but he felt like he could detect a certain regret there, too. And in his own expression could be found sadness, and the same regret visible in Loki’s face. He didn’t really want to dwell on the drawing, though he couldn’t quite bring himself to simply close the sketchbook and put it away, to be forgotten until another five years down the line when the artistic fancy struck him once more.

Instead, he placed the sketchbook on the coffee table and relocated to the spare bedroom he used as a mechanical workshop, opting to occupy his hands and mind with tinkering with electronics (he was attempting to build a robot that would make a perfect fruit smoothie) to keep himself from obsessing over Loki.

* * *

 

Loki’s family arrived the next day. His stomach clenched as he pulled up to the airport in his car, scanning the sidewalk for his father and brother. 

It wasn’t difficult to locate them. His father wasn’t that tall, but Thor stood, blond and muscular, at almost six five, sticking up a whole head above most of the people mingling on the walkway.

Loki pulled up right next to them, hands tightening on the steering wheel momentarily before he pulled the keys from the ignition and got out, plastering his face with his most welcoming smile, though anyone familiar with him could tell it didn’t reach his eyes.

He hoped that two years was a long enough absence that they wouldn’t notice.

“Father, brother!” he greeted them, voice sounding surprisingly happy.

Perhaps he’d missed his calling as an actor? He’d ponder that later. At the moment, he was more focused on the massive arms that were wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing tight enough to make breathing difficult. 

“Hello, Lucas,” Thor greeted him warmly. He didn’t notice Loki flinch at his legal name. He hadn’t been called such in two years. It was the way Thor was acting, though, that made him want to cringe away from his brother’s touch. He acted as if nothing had ever occurred. As if they’d simply come home from a short trip.

“Hello, Thor,” Loki replied, forcing his arms to wrap lightly around Thor. Forcing himself not to correct his brother on his name. He hadn’t become Loki until he’d left, and he’d rather not get into all of that with Thor. 

Loki pulled away as soon as socially acceptable, then turned to the other man standing there. “Hello, father. You’re looking well.”

His father’s gaze traveled the length of him, taking in each detail, and Loki could tell from the set of his brow, from the way his remaining eye twitched, that he disliked what he saw. No doubt, he saw a disappointment. “You look thin,” he said dismissively, turning to Loki’s car. “Shall we depart?”

He didn’t wait for an answer before getting into the car. Loki noted that he took the backseat. His father had always been a man to demand the respect he felt he was owed, and he’d be sure to take that respect at every opportunity. The fact that he hadn’t taken a seat in the front was biting, disdainful, and it left him sitting beside Thor as he babbled endlessly about nothing he particularly cared about.

The car ride was long and painful. His father didn’t speak, kept his hands in fists on his legs and face blank. Loki knew this trip hadn’t been his idea. It had been Thor’s, actually. Loki knew his brother’s heart was in the right place, but he wondered if Thor had thought through the impact this visit might have on all involved.

Loki had left for a reason, after all, and Thor wasn’t ignorant of it. He’d made his hatred for his father and brother clear as he stormed out the door with a duffle bag full of clothing, the picture of his mother which still adorned his nightstand, and a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland, taken from Thor’s room when they were children.

Thor had never noticed, and Loki had never returned it.

Loki felt his heart clench as he thought of his mother. It’d been his fault, he knew that. He’d been out, partying and drinking with some friends. One of his friends had decided he’d had too much to drink, and taken his phone to call his mother to pick him up. Frigga had agreed, of course, and been hit as she made her way through an intersection.

Loki hadn’t spoken to the person who’d called Frigga since he beat the guy halfway to unconsciousness, shouting about how it was his fault Frigga was dead.

His family had made it clear where the blame lay, however. His father couldn’t stand to look at him, leaving the room whenever Loki entered, refusing to respond to his son when he tried to speak to him. Thor hadn’t been quite as bad. He’d tried to talk to Loki, to comfort him, to quell the helplessness and rage that was brewing inside him, presenting itself in the verbal lashings he would hurl at Thor when the elder of the two caught the other in just the wrong mood.

But Loki knew Thor wasn’t giving him the full truth of how he felt. He could see how Thor’s face contorted in pain and disgust when he thought Loki couldn’t see. He could see the reluctance in his eyes when Loki tried to talk to him and he was just too tired to fully try to hide it. He could see the condemnation.

Loki hadn’t stayed around long after that. He left the day after the funeral. He paid his last respects to his mother and gone home to pack his things. He’d tried to sneak out quietly, but Thor had caught him in the act, walking into his room while he was packing and asked what he was doing.

It’d all gone downhill from there. Loki couldn’t even remember the exact words exchanged anymore. He hadn’t been fully aware of his words or actions. He was running on autopilot, ready to fight his way out of the house, if need be.

In the end, he’d only needed biting words and the abundant funds in his bank account, thanks to his mother, bless her soul.

He’d stayed with a friend for the night, but somewhere along with way, Loki decided that, perhaps America would be a nice change of pace. He had enough money to get there, and a passport. His friends had soon gotten fed up with his moping. There was nothing tying him there, or anywhere. 

There was probably something to be said for the fact that a “change of pace” for him was changing continents, but he really didn’t want to go down that road. Ever.

And so, without really pausing to question the sanity of his plan, he bought a plane ticket, and two years later, here he was, and his situation had come full circle, with his father refusing to acknowledge him any more than strictly necessary, and his brother desperately, transparently trying to pretend like nothing was wrong.

* * *

 Tony hadn’t heard from Loki in three days. He’d gone down to the cafe, asked Natasha about it when he discovered that Loki wasn’t there. Natasha had simply shrugged and said he’d taken those days off. 

She didn’t know when he’d be back.

Tony tried calling - probably a few more times than was strictly acceptable having only known each other a few weeks, but that was debatable - but he always just got Loki’s voicemail. 

He stopped leaving messages.

On the third day, his phone rang, and he picked it up without checking the caller ID. It was late and he’d been through another day of obsessing and panicking and wondering if Loki was okay or if he was ignoring him or what the hell was going on. “Loki!” he said in excitement and relief.

“No, but I’m calling about him,” a sharp, slightly sarcastic female voice replied.

“Darcy,” Tony said, recognizing her voice immediately, even if he’d only met her once. “I thought you were-”

“Yeah, I figured that out, loverboy,” she cut him off, then paused. “I’m assuming you haven’t heard from him, then?”

Tony shook his head, even if she couldn’t see it. “No, I’ve been calling and - wait, how do you have my number?”

“I hacked his phone. I’ve had it for weeks.” The way she said it, so casually, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world, it almost made Tony laugh. Almost. 

I also made him wonder, very briefly, what it’d be like to have a friend who routinely violated his privacy as a show of affection.

Silence stretched between them for a long, awkward moment. Finally, Tony cleared his throat and said, “So, you haven’t heard from him either, then?”

“No, he texted me two days ago saying not to worry about him, and that he’d call me sometime in the next couple days. But it’s been a couple days and he hasn’t called or anything. I’m worried.”

“You worry about him a lot, don’t you?” Tony wasn’t sure where the question had come from, but he made no attempt to stop or deflect it after it’d sprung to his lips.

“It’s my job, isn’t it?” Tony could practically hear her nonchalantly shrugging on the other end of the phone. “I’m his best friend. His only friend, actually. He’s practically my brother!” She paused. “Though, don’t tell _him_ that, because there are some issues there that you’ve probably already guessed at.”

Tony was attempting to keep up with her babbling. “But why are you so protective? Is it because if Fandral?” He just wanted to understand.

Darcy sighed on the other end. “Partly. How much do you know about Loki’s relationship with Fandral?”

“Not much,” Tony admitted. Loki was never very open about himself. Tony had to struggle for each detail. Every time Tony got close to learning anything, Loki froze up and changed the subject.

“I was one of the first people Loki met after moving here, did you know that?” She didn’t wait for Tony to answer. “We took to each other pretty quickly, and he seemed to enjoy being able to cut loose and be silly. I got a feeling he didn’t get that much back in England. I still don’t know what his family was like before he moved here, and I never asked. A few months later, he met Fandral. He was really taken with him... Pining after him, always talking about him when he wasn’t around. It was freaking annoying, let me tell you that! But he was so happy when Fandral asked him out. And I mean, jumping up and down, ecstatic. After about a month, he introduced us. Invited us both over to his flat for dinner. I was excited, I’d heard so much about the guy, I was happy to finally meet him.” She paused, searching for words. 

“And?” Tony encouraged her.

“Patience,” she chided. “So, I went over there to meet him, I had dinner with him, laughed at his jokes, took part in polite conversation while Loki made doe eyes at him all night and all but ignored me.”

“I sense you’re building to something...”

“Quiet!” she insisted. “I’m telling the story here. Anyway, Fandral left the room for whatever reason, and Loki turned to me and said, ‘So, what do you think?’ God, he looked so excited. And I said the first thing that came to mind. I said, ‘Loki, no offense, but your boyfriend’s a douchebag.’ He wasn’t exactly happy about that.”

“How bad was he?” Tony was hanging on her every word, knowing he’d never get this much out of Loki himself.

“Oh, he was horrible,” Darcy assured him. “Kept making all these horrible jokes and expecting us to laugh at them, and most of what he said was insulting to either me or Loki. And he just took it! I don’t think he even noticed.”

Tony asked his next question hesitantly. “So, what did Loki do?”

“He kicked me out,” she replied, matter-of-factly. “Didn’t talk to me for over three months. Continued dating Fandral without a clue, and without me there to call either of them out on their shit.”

“But you’re friends now...”

“He came crawling back to me the last time he and Fandral broke up, told me the whole sob story, everything I expected to hear. Fandral was a douchecanoe who tried to control him, degraded him, treated him like general shit, and when Loki tried to resist it, Fandral would just break up with him, let him come crawling back.”

“What finally broke the cycle?” Tony wasn’t sure anymore exactly how much he should be asking, how much he wanted to know, how much Loki would be okay with him knowing.

“He caught Fandral fucking another guy. As far as I know, Loki walked out of their apartment without taking anything besides a book and the photograph of his mother. He managed to make it to my place before crying. Broke down in my arms, actually. God, he was a mess for days.”

“And that was six months ago?”

“Just about, yeah.”

Tony was about to reply when there was a knock at his door. “Darcy, gimme a sec.”

She replied something loud and excited, but Tony couldn’t make it out as he’d already lowered the phone and padded his way to the door. He didn’t even check through the eyehole to see who it was, just pulled the door open, somehow simultaneously shocked and unsurprised to find Loki standing on his doormat, dripping from the rain, shivering, and looking more disheveled than Tony had ever seen the man.

Tony had a feeling that was from more than just the storm.

“Loki,” he finally said, the name escaping his lips like a sigh of relief. He could still hear Darcy shouting into the phone and, and he thought he heard Loki's name in there, but he hit the end button and set it on the shelf next to the door without taking his eyes off of the trembling, frighteningly pale form of Loki.

Loki was looking at him with wide, scared eyes, and he was clenching himself tightly to fight off the quakes. “Hello, Stark,” he said, voice shaking as his teeth chattered together.

Tony was about to invite Loki in, when suddenly, a cold, wet mouth was on his and a cold, rain-drenched body was pressed against him, pushing him back against the wall with a thud, hands traveling everywhere. He was so surprised, it took him a moment to fully process what was happening. He kissed back enthusiastically, pressing back against the mouth, the body, letting himself feel everything, until a cold wetness in a certain sensitive area reminded him of exactly where he was.

He pulled out of the kiss. “Loki, wait,” he gasped. Loki just moved to suck along his neck, momentarily scrambling every thought in Tony’s head. It took him another moment to gather his head. He pushed Loki back firmly by the shoulders, holding him at arm’s length to look at him seriously. “Loki, what happened?”

Loki shook his head. “Nothing happened, Stark.” His voice started out strong, but it broke halfway through, revealing just how desperate he was.

Tony cursed his conscience right then as he shook his head right back. “Something happened, I can tell. You can talk to me, you know. I think that’s technically my duty or something like that.”

“I don’t want to talk,” Loki insisted, pulling Tony’s hands from his shoulders and moving to kiss him again, but Tony remained adamant.

“Green Eyes, I’m not going to fuck you like this. I’ve been here before. We both wake up in the morning sore and regretting every moment.”

Loki gave him a long look. “You want to help me, Stark?” Tony nodded. “Then know that this is what I need. I don’t want to talk. I want you.” Loki gave an impeccably timed shiver. “Also, these clothes are wet and cold. And shouldn’t it also your _duty_ to make sure I don’t get sick?” Tony was having a difficult time formulating a reply, torn between what he wanted to do and what his conscience told him he _should_ do. Loki pressed on, glancing down at the tight bulge in Tony’s jeans. “I know you want me, Stark. So have me.”

Tony let out a whine and grabbed Loki’s shoulders, this time to flip them around and press Loki against the wall, kissing him hard. “You’ve got a wicked tongue,” he growled, hands already moving to fumble up the buttons at the front of Loki’s shirt. “Could get you into trouble.”

Tony pulled the shirt open and pulled his own off in a swift motion, then pressed back against Loki, chests flush together, kissing him again, then moving to suck down the length of Loki’s long neck while his hands fumbled to pull the wet shirt down and off of Loki’s long body. Loki let out a soft pleasurable moan, arms wrapping around Tony. 

Tony pulled back after a moment, breathing hard. “Care to move this to the bedroom, Green Eyes?” Loki’s dark eyes were all the answer he needed. He took Loki’s hand and led him to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am evil.
> 
> Anyway, comments are appreciated, either here or on tumblr
> 
> http://frost-is-2spooky.tumblr.com/ask


	6. Chapter 6

Tony and Loki went slowly,  exploring each other with reverent kisses and fingers brushing across skin like delicate butterfly wings. Tony could have spent hours just staring at Loki, taking in and memorizing each beautiful detail of his long body. The pale skin, marred only by the light, barely perceptible scars at his back.

Loki made a soft noise when Tony touched them, and he hesitated for a moment. Tony was about to pull his fingers away and make a note to avoid them when Loki leaned into his touch, making another soft sound of pleasure.

Tony traced the scars with his fingers. The light, barely raised ridges.

He wondered what they were from, knew Loki probably wouldn’t ever tell him.

The sharp, defined lines of his torso made Tony think that Loki was just a bit to thin for his own good, but Loki seemed healthy enough when he was crying out Tony’s name.

And Loki...Loki was everywhere. Arms surrounding Tony, making him feel safe. His cool hands moving across his flesh in sharp contrast to his overheated skin.

He begged for it, begged for Tony to take him. To fill him and take away everything except them and the warm, safe space between.

Soon enough, even that space was gone, and Loki was coming and so was Tony and everything was so bright and warm and perfect and they fell asleep in each others arms, legs intertwined and heartbeats synchronizing as their breathing slowed and they fell into an easy lull, Loki’s head tucked into the comfortable crook where Tony’s head met his shoulder.

Loki didn’t dream for the first time in a long while.

Tony was awoken early the next morning by a wild knocking at his door. He glanced groggily at the clock and saw that it was seven in the morning. Too early for him to be up, even with his recent schedule change.

He suppressed a groan, not wanting to wake Loki, and carefully, pulled away from him, making sure the blanket still covered him - because _damn_ , the guy complained when he was cold - and pressed a light kiss to his temple.

Loki stirred but, to Tony’s relief, he didn’t wake.

He’d rather Loki stayed asleep until he figured out exactly what to say, if he was being honest.

He pulled on a pair of pajama pants he found on the ground nearby and padded to the door and yawning, wincing at the sound of his joints cracking as he stretched.

On the other side of the door was a wild-looking Darcy, looking only slightly pissed at him. Which was sort of a good sign. Sort of.

“What the hell was that last night?” she demanded.

“Good morning to you, too,” he replied.

“You just hung up on me without any explanation!” she insisted, refusing to give him the gratification of acknowledging his sarcasm.

“Oh, that.”

“ _‘Oh, that,’”_ she mimicked, voice rising. “I’ve been worried sick about Loki for days! Is he okay? Did something happen? Why am I cut out of the loop when I’ve known him for years, while you’ve only been here for a few weeks?” 

She was livid and as her voice rose, he quickly stepped out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. “Can you try to keep your voice down? He’s still sleeping.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Still sleeping, huh?”

This time, it was Tony who refused to rise to the bait. “Yes, he’s still sleeping. He showed up last night, wouldn’t tell me what happened, and just needing some human contact. He still hasn’t explained anything to me.” Darcy was about to interject, but Tony quickly continued, cutting her off before she even started. “Darcy, let me talk to him. I promise, I’ll call you if anything is wrong, I promise. But for now, we should let him sleep. He probably needs it.”

She hesitated, then nodded once. “Fine.” She studied him as Tony shifted awkwardly from side to side. “You clearly have something else to say to me, so have at it.”

Tony didn’t want to say it, but he knew he had to. “It’s just...you asked why he came to me instead of you. You left him, Darcy. I know you’re trying to fix it. That’s why you’re so protective of him, isn’t it? And why you wanted to meet me. You don’t want a repeat of Fandral, for him or for you.”

She hung her head and Tony knew that he’d hit home. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I think he’s forgiven you, and you two still seem to have a great relationship. Be thankful for that. Give him a bit more time, Loki doesn’t seem like one to forgive easily, so I’m assuming that when he does, it’s a great gift.”

She nodded. “Alright. Just...let him know that I stopped by? And that I love him.”

Tony nodded right back. “Will do. How about you stop by later tonight? Around five?”

“Kay, I’ll be here.” She smiled and gave him a wave, turning to go.

“Wait, Darcy!” She turned back, expectantly. “How did either of you know my address, anyway?”

She chuckled. “Yellow pages.”

Tony actually laughed at that. “Really? Old school!” Tony had been running through all these scenarios in his head, with Darcy running background checks on all of Loki’s dates, creating dossiers with their addresses and family histories and criminal backgrounds and favorite vegetables and all that.

Darcy just smiled back. “Bye, Tony. I’ll see you later. And take care of him.”

Loki’s eyes cracked open when Tony returned. “You’re back. Who was at the door?”

“You were awake?”

Loki smiled lightly. “Yes. You’re not really that stealthy, actually.”

“I’m hurt, Green Eyes, I thought I was being so sneaky!” He grinned, pulling the blanket over him as he slid back in next to Loki. “Seems like you survived my absence, though.” He pressed a kiss to Loki’s hair as he wound his arms around the other man, and Loki turned his head to kiss him on the lips.

“Only minimal panicking ensued,” he assured him, resting his head on Tony’s shoulder. “Who was at the door, then? You never told me.”

“Oh, yeah. It was Darcy.”

He perked up at that. “Oh? She here to make sure I was still in one piece?”

Tony laughed. “Pretty much, yeah. She said to make sure you know that she stopped by and that she loves you.”

A small smile touched his lips. “Darcy’s a good friend, and I’m fairly certain she likes you.”

“Fairly certain?” Tony parroted, feigning disdain.

“Yes, fairly certain,” Loki repeated. “You can never quite tell with her, you’ve seen how she is. But she hasn’t said she hates you, which is a good sign.” He paused. “And she hasn’t even threatened to tase you.”

Tony choked. _“There was a possibility of being tased?”_  

Loki snickered, grinning at him. “Only a small one.”

Tony rolled his eyes, kissing the smirk right off of Loki’s lips, pulling him close and wrapping arms around him comfortably, doing all he could to make Loki feel safe and wanted.

He pulled back to catch his breath, pressing his forehead to Loki’s and closing his eyes, enjoying the closeness in a way he never had before. Tony had had relationships before. He’d had girlfriends and even a few boyfriends. But they’d pretty much all ditched him when they came to the conclusion that a.) there was no deeper level to Tony, or b.) there was a deeper level, but it was just buried to deep for them to ever reach it.

Anyway, the two of them stayed like that - neither was sure how long, but it was getting light through the windows - curled around each other and just being. Finally, Tony decided to say something. He opened his eyes and mouth to speak, but Loki beat him to it.

“I suppose I should explain, then...” He forced himself to meet Tony’s attentive gaze. 

“Only if you want to, Green Eyes,” Tony promised. Tony wanted to know, wanted to help, but he knew there was only so much Loki would or could tell him.

Loki took a deep breath, searching for the right words and chuckling lightly when he felt Tony’s thumb idly brushing over one of the scars at his back. “It’s been so long since anyone has touched those. Most people just automatically avoid them.” He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. “Mmmm, feels good.”

“Why don’t you start by explaining these, then?” Tony suggested. “Tell me where the scars came from.”

“I was a young buy back in England,” he began. “I think I was seven years old, perhaps? It was summer and it was so hot, so Thor and I had taken off our shirts and decided to climb a tree to catch the breeze. It got later, and our parents were still gone, off visiting friends or something. Thor went back inside, and I stayed outside. He told me not to climb the tree, but, well...” Loki laughed. “I was never very good at following instructions. So, I climbed back into the tree, trying to get higher and higher. Higher than Thor had, and I did. But I missed a footing and fell. Thor ran out when he heard me scream and fall.”

“How bad was it?” The scars under Tony’s hands didn’t feel like they’d been that deep, though, if Loki had been seven when he’d received them, they could easily have been much worse than they currently appeared.”

“I broke my leg, my wrist, and two ribs. And scratched up my back quite a bit on the way down.”

Tony winced at the thought. “And your brother got you to the hospital?”

“Yes, he called an ambulance for me. The poor sod, I’m fairly certain he was crying harder than I was.”

Tony laughed. “It sounds like he cared about you.”

Loki stilled. “He did. Does. But I...” Loki wasn’t sure how to go on. Wasn’t sure how he could admit to Tony everything he’d done. Wasn’t sure Tony would still be willing to be this close to him, to touch him like he was something beautiful, something to be revered. “I pushed him away.”

Loki paused, but Tony instinctively knew that he should say anything. He should let Loki talk and tell him as much as he wished. He instead wrapped his arms tighter around Loki, pulling him in protectively. Loki closed his eyes and smiled appreciatively, tucking his head into the warm crook where he’d slept the night before and continuing. “You see, my mother died, just before I relocated here. It was my fault, I know that, but I blamed everyone but myself. My father stopped talking, though I perceived that as him blaming me. Thor...his only crime was mourning his mother. But everywhere I looked, all I saw was the evidence of my guilt, of my shame. I shouted at them, and they shouted back, and I left. Wound up here. Met Darcy, got a job at the coffee shop, tried to forget. That last part hasn’t really worked out as yet.

“And then they found me again. They decided to pay me a visit, as you know.” Loki’s voice caught in his throat. “My father hasn’t changed. He barely acknowledges me. And Thor acts as if everything is just fine. As if I didn’t discard him and leave him and say all manner of unspeakable things on the way out.”

Loki stopped talking, and it took Tony a moment to realize that he was supposed to reply. “I see...” What else was he supposed to say to that?

Loki pulled his head back. “You’ll see? That’s all you have to say to that? Do you realize how difficult that was? Darcy doesn’t even know the full story! I told you this because I trust you, you daft man, and-”

Tony shut him up with a kiss, light and placating. “I was just trying to process, Green Eyes,” he growled when he pulled away. “The entire time I’ve known you, I haven’t gotten this much information out of you, and now you drop something of a bombshell.”

Loki buried his face in Tony’s shoulder, unable to hold his gaze any longer. “Please don’t leave me,” he pleaded.

That caught Tony completely off guard. He sputtered for a moment. “What? I-Leave you?” He pulled back, holding Loki at arms length. “What are you talking about?”

“I killed my mother. I’m a monster.” Loki was clearly on the verge of tears now.

Tony held his shoulders tightly, making sure Loki was paying attention. “Listen here, Loki. You need to stop blaming yourself for every goddamned thing that happens. Shit happens, that’s life. But how we react to life, that’s who we are. Thor forgave you, it’s time you forgave yourself.”

Loki’s eyes were wide, shocked, and he stared at Tony for a long moment, the only sound between them their ragged breathing. Finally, Loki nodded, meeting Tony’s eyes with a steadfast gaze. “I’ll try.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! This is the epilogue of adorable domesticness. 
> 
> Also, my girlfriend and I have this joke that she's Tony and I'm Loki (and we're actually cosplaying that this weekend). Well, guess who in this relationship is an artist (that would be her), and who in this relationship recently got a job as a barista (that would be me).

Tony paced the flat back and forth, rehearsing the three words over and over. It should be easy! Three words, three syllables, eight letters. Not that difficult, right?

Right?

Wrong!

The words had been on the tip of Tony’s tongue for weeks, in the forefront of his mind for months. 

And now, on the anniversary of Loki coming into his life, Tony was finally ready to say them.

He just had to work up the courage.

And wait for Loki to get home.

Hopefully that’d be before he wore a path right through the carpet, though if Loki wasn’t back soon, he couldn’t make any promises.

They’d been together for almost a year now, and they’d been living together for nine months. They’d picked out a flat together and decorated it as they saw fit, mixing Tony’s more modern tastes - stainless steel, floating stairs, large, open concept rooms - with Loki’s more regal tastes. Dark woods and gold-colored trim met the hot red walls Tony had insisted upon, and a few furs adorned furniture and walls.

All in all, while some seemed to hate the place, it was everything the two of them wanted, and it was home to both of them. There was the reclining chair that Loki had initially refused to let Tony bring home, though he’d finally agreed when Tony had relented on the four-poster bed. The big, plush couch with the corner spot where they liked to curl up while Loki read and Tony put on the news or sports -  or one of those soap operas he’d never admit he loved and would never agree to give up - in the background while he drew or sketched up blueprints for his latest and greatest invention, or sometimes he just sat there with Loki, head resting on his shoulder, resting against him while Loki read.

Sometimes he had Loki read to him. It wasn’t because he was particularly interested in what Loki was reading. The novels he preferred were a bit too dry for his tastes. He just liked to hear Loki’s voice, and feel the rumble in the man’s chest and he spoke and breathed. 

There were the shelves of books, both his and Loki’s, mixed in an eclectic mess that Loki claimed he hated, but he never did anything to change it. Above the bookshelf were a row of pictures of Tony, Loki, and Darcy in various places and combinations. The three of them at an amusement park for Loki’s birthday, one with Loki and Darcy high-fiving in celebration of beating Tony at bowling, and a picture commemorating one regrettable instance where Tony and Loki had gone on a date and wound up with faces covered in pie and whipped cream.

It was one story they’d rather not tell again.

Ever.

But as comfortable as he was in the place, here he was, nervous, frantic, pacing back and forth and wondering if he was about to make a huge mistake. 

Because here’s how it works.

Tony Stark didn’t fall in love and...yeah, that’s just about how it works.

Tony Stark _didn’t_ fall in love.

He’d recognized the signs early on. The way he’d catch himself thinking of Loki when he wasn’t around. The way he’d be walking somewhere and catch a scent that reminded him of the tall man - usually some kind of food, because _ohmygod_ , could the guy cook - or he’d catch a glimpse of dark hair in a crowd and immediately get excited at the prospect of seeing his beautiful other, only to have his hopes dashed as he realized that it was just a stranger with a decidedly Loki-ish look to his hair.

Loki spilled over into his art and his drawing. He didn’t see any more of the twisted, feral Loki that he’d drawn before their first date, thank god. He did, however, see a lot of Loki in armor and in and out of the horned helm. Tony especially enjoyed how Loki looked in those, so regal and beautiful and proud.

Maybe he had a fetish.

But he put that thought out of his mind when he heard the key being pushed into the lock and the door opening and he turned excitedly to see Loki walking in with a paper bag that Tony suspected contained ingredients to produce yet another culinary masterpiece. Loki placed it on the counter and turned to him with a wide smile.

Tony had a sneaking suspicion that Loki was trying to kill him with good food. He still hadn’t quite recovered from the lasagna that he’d insisted could induce an orgasm in a lesser man.

Loki had decided to set him straight on the matter and sunk to his knees on the spot to suck him off while he sat in the kitchen chair.

Tony still couldn’t eat lasagna.

But none of that was important then because Loki was in his arms and Loki’s lips were pressed against his and Loki’s hands were in his hair and _Loki Loki Loki._

Tony pulled back to catch his breath, about to say the words, when-

“I love you, Tony.”

Tony stared, wide-eyed, wondering if he’s heard correctly. Had Loki just said that he loved him? There were many things that sounded like _I love you_ , he reasoned. Like...olive juice! And...elephant shoes!

“Shit,” he finally blurted, and Loki’s reaction was instantaneous, going from certain and adoring to insecure and confused, and _oh_ , Tony hated seeing that look on Loki’s face, and hated himself even more because he was the one who’d brought it about. Tony’s mind went blank as he realized how his reaction could be taken. “No, no, no! It’s just, I was about to say that.”

Loki raised an eyebrow at him. “Were you, now?”

Tony nodded. “Yup, been wanting to say it for a while, now. And if you look over there, I’m pretty sure my pacing has done permanent damage to the carpet.”

Loki snickered. “Say it, then.”

“What now?” Tony’s eyebrows pulled together.

“Say it. You said you were about to say it, but I haven’t actually heard the words out of you.”

Tony rolled his eyes. Insecure bastard. He pulled Loki in so that their bodies were flush together, pressing his forehead against Loki’s, and said, “I love you, Green Eyes.”

Loki grinned, catching him in a kiss that could only be described as loving, and Tony desperately hoped that kisses like that could never, ever stop. 

He took a breath when Loki’s mouth pulled from his to suck at his neck, at the spot that he _knew_ could make Tony do anything for him in bed. Tony gasped. “I think this calls for I-Love-You-sex, then,” he murmured, leaning his head back to give Loki a better angle on his neck. 

“You think everything is an occasion for celebratory sex,” Loki reminded him. “I open a jar of pickles for you, we have Loki-Is-My-Big-Hero-sex. 2012 didn’t happen, and didn’t we have Averted-Apocalypse-sex?”

“I don’t see you complaining,” Tony pointed out. “Besides, I hear I-Love-You-sex is fantastic.”

“You hear?” Loki pulled up to look him in the eye. “Haven’t you said it to anyone before?”

Tony shook his head. “Nope, never felt this way towards anyone.” He saw the shine in Loki’s eyes, though he decided not to comment, opting instead to file it away in the endless mental list of Things About Loki Which Drove Him Crazy. “How about you?”

“I said it to Fandral. He never said it back.”

Tony nodded, smirking and cupping Loki’s ass. “I suppose we better find out how great this sex is, then.”

“You’re shameless,” Loki said with a roll of his eyes, but he kissed Tony happily.

“But evidently, you love it,” Tony pointed out. “You said it, you can’t take it back now!”

Loki laughed, kissing him again and hands moving to hold Tony’s hips, thumbs moving just below the waistband of Tony’s jeans to get him to shut up and focus on the growing bulge in Loki’s jeans.

As Tony fell asleep that night, with a head covered in long hair tufted by lovemaking and long legs intertwined with his own and the light ridges of scars beneath his fingers, he thought about how things had changed for him.

About how it was no longer his bed or his bedroom, but their bed. Their bedroom.

Not his flat, but their flat.

Not his life, but their life.

He fell asleep with a smile on lips and his last thought was that he was right.

Tony Stark didn’t fall in love.

Rather, he strode into it willingly, following a path forged by a tall man with pale skin and the brightest green eyes he’d ever seen.


End file.
